The Knights Announced as 92 St Y Ensemble-In-Residence

Multi-year collaboration begins in 2021/22 season

92Y is pleased to announce that Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra The Knights will be its Ensemble-in-Residence, starting with the 2021/22 season. The new relationship was unveiled during last night’s star-studded “92Y Together” online event, which featured The Knights performing a new arrangement of Simple Gifts alongside Bernstein’s Overture to Candide (video here).

The three-year collaboration will encompass concert performances, family events, outreach and education initiatives, and the development of new projects. Flexible in size and repertory, The Knights will perform in diverse contexts, from intimate chamber recitals to full-scale orchestral concerts. The Knights will be 92Y’s first large ensemble in residence since the Y Chamber Symphony under Gerard Schwarz, 1977 to 1986.

Said Seth Pinsky, CEO of the 92nd Street Y, “We are delighted to launch this exciting relationship with The Knights, welcoming this world-class ensemble as the 92nd Street Y’s official Ensemble-in-Residence. Our collaboration will start during the 2021/22 Season, expanding our robust commitment to classical music performance and education. For more than 146 years, we have celebrated foundational works and presented new creations. Classical music legends Andrés Segovia, Lang Lang, Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, Benjamin Grosvenor, Yo-Yo Ma and Angela Hewitt have all called our stage home. Now, despite the uncertainty looming over the cultural landscape, we feel it is more important than ever to imagine a more vibrant future and to continue to invest in the performing arts generally, and classical music specifically, at the 92nd Street Y.”

“I am thrilled to announce this new collaboration with The Knights,” said Hanna Arie-Gaifman, Director of the 92nd Steet Y’s Tisch Center for the Arts. “Over the past few months, the 92nd Street Y has been on the cutting edge of concert presenting, reaching audiences in new ways during these strange times. Once we can return to our Kaufmann Concert Hall, we will continue to innovate through this long-term, holistic relationship, which encompasses not only a wide variety of programs for our audiences, but also significant educational opportunities for students of all ages. The artistic excellence and wide-ranging vision of The Knights has impressed me greatly over the years, and I am overjoyed that we can formalize a relationship that will allow us to explore the many facets of our mutual interests together.”

Said Colin Jacobsen, who co-founded The Knights and shares the role of Artistic Director with brother Eric Jacobsen, “As we experience the collective trauma of the moment we’re in, we know that our world, our country, and our beloved city New York will need to go through an extensive healing process. We believe music can be a powerful catalyst for that healing, and The Knights can’t wait to be with everyone at the 92nd Street Y in person, able to share once again in the communal experience of live concert music.” Eric Jacobsen said, “Building a home for the future of classical music has been a consistent goal for Colin, myself, and The Knights. With a new stage, a new partner and a new rich collaborative spirit, the 92nd Street Y and The Knights are going to create a new way of sharing concerts and creating imaginative and artistically vital moments. We are committed to building on the deep relationships with our New York partner schools and organizations, as well as embracing the collaborators of the 92nd Street Y. In these times of uncertainty, identifying like-minded organizations and fostering the creativity that builds on what the arts can give to New York is both essential and beautiful.”

Further details on the new collaboration will be announced later this year.